Raiders to face national champs

Eleven home matches, including the Holiday Inn Invitational, and a match against defending national champion Stanford at the Long Beach Invitational, highlight the 2017 Wright State volleyball schedule..

Head coach Susan Clements, who enters her sixth season at the helm of the Raiders, has nine players returning this season, including senior outside hitter Katie Klusman, who was an Honorable Mention All-Horizon League selection in 2016. Klusman, who ranked third in the league in kills per set at 3.49 last season, reached double figures in kills 20 times, double figures in digs on 11 occasions and posted nine double-doubles. She reached 1,000 career kills at Cleveland State on Nov. 11 and enters her senior campaign with 1,009 overall.

Also returning are seniors Megan Hopkins, Rachel Kremer, Maddie Lohmeier and Jessie Thornton; juniors Alannah Lemming and Bailey Wheatley; and sophomores Hannah Colvin and Taylor Gibson. Hopkins needs just 137 kills to also reach the 1,000 plateau and Thornton is just 130 digs from the school record set by Lexi Leonhard (2006-09).

Iowa: Wright State opens the season against the Hawkeyes as part of the Long Beach Tournament on Aug. 25.

Long Beach State: WSU faces the host 49ers in the second match of the Long Beach Tournament on Aug. 25.

Stanford: The Raiders wrap up play at the Long Beach Tournament against one of the premier teams in the country on Aug. 26. Stanford (27-7, 15-5 Pac-12) won the 2016 Division I crown by defeating Minnesota and Texas in the Final Four at Nationwide Arena in Columbus.

Missouri-Kansas City: Wright State opens day two of the Cougar Classic on September 2 versus the Kangaroos.

Tulsa: The Raiders wrap up play in the Cougar Classic against the Golden Hurricane on Sept. 2.

Fort Wayne: WSU travels to the Gates Sports Center for its only midweek nonleague match on Sept. 5.

Harvard: The Crimson provide the opposition for WSU’s home opener as part of the Holiday Inn Invitational on Sept. 8.

Tennessee Tech: Wright State takes on the Golden Eagles in the second match of the Holiday Inn Invitational on Sept. 8.

West Virginia: The Raiders close out the Holiday Inn Invitational against the Mountaineers on Sept. 9. West Virginia (12-18, 3-13 Big 12) has won the last two meetings, but Wright State leads the series 5-3.

Southeast Missouri: WSU heads to the Windy City for the Chicago State Invitational and will open against the Redhawks on Sept. 15.

Louisiana Tech: The Raiders face the Ragin’ Cajuns in the second match of the Chicago State Invitational on Sept. 15.

Chicago State: Wright State wraps up tournament play with this match against the host Cougars on Sept. 16. WSU is 6-0 all-time against Chicago State, but the two teams have not met since 2014.

Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis: The Raiders head to Indianapolis for IUPUI’s first-ever Horizon League match on Sept. 22 and will then welcome in the Jaguars on Oct. 21.

Northern Kentucky: Wright State closes out its first weekend of league play in Highland Heights, Ky., on Sept. 23 and then hosts the Norse on Oct. 20.

Oakland: The Raiders head north to face Oakland on Sept. 29 before welcoming in the Golden Grizzlies on Oct. 28.

Cleveland State: Wright State wraps up two straight road weekends with the Vikings on Sept. 30 and then WSU hosts the defending league champions on Oct. 27.

Green Bay: The Phoenix provide the opposition for the Raiders’ first home match in league play on Oct. 6 before WSU makes the return trip on Nov. 4.

Illinois Chicago: Wright State faces the Flames on Oct. 7 and Nov. 3.

Youngstown State: WSU takes on the Penguins in the only two Wednesday matches of the season on Oct. 11 and Nov. 8.

Milwaukee: The Raiders visit the Klotsche Center for a rare Sunday match on Oct. 15 before hosting the Panthers in the regular-season finale on Nov. 10.

The Horizon League Tournament begins with the No. 3 and No. 4 seeds taking on the No. 5 and No. 6 seeds on Nov. 17 at the site of the regular-season champion. The semifinals will take place on Nov. 18 and the finals the following day.